Religious and Spiritual Shame Heal with Compassion
Religious and Spiritual Shame are Destructive
Personal shame involving one’s religion or spirituality is prevalent and attacks in discreet ways from all angles. People may feel shame for their beliefs on a societal level, or they may feel ashamed when they fall short of their religious or spiritual expectations. In some religions, shame is encouraged. The distinction between guilt and shame are not always made, and the destructive nature of shame is free to cultivate or exacerbate mood, personality, and substance use disorders. Eventually, it can lead to abandonment of deeply-held religious/spiritual beliefs or suicide.
No Matter How Broken, You Can Rebuild
Compassion is a safe way to mitigate and even resolve the issues brought by internalized shame. With a compassionate hand to hold, you can know the difference between the uncontrollable, all-encompassing, unforgiving grip of shame and the behavior-focused, amendable, connection-strengthening acknowledgment of guilt cradled in self-compassion. Your testimony of your beliefs may be strengthened and revitalized, and you may experience increased spiritual awareness. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain by choosing compassion in your spiritual journey.